In a typical office environment, local area network (LAN) based applications, such as scheduling and time management calendar packages, are commonly used. These applications are generally personal computer (PC) or LAN work station executable packages, and can provide a user such features as presenting an electronic representation of a calendar, schedule, or the like. Moreover, the user may be allowed to alter the information presented, such as schedule certain events, just as she/he would on a hard copy, or paper, version of the representation.
The benefit of these LAN based applications is that their information may be shared, such as where multiple users share their individual calendars. As a result, users can determine if others are available at certain times, they can schedule meetings with other people, they can make appointments on another user's calendar, or the like. Such systems present an efficient method of interacting with a work group and, thus, are used quite often in the office setting.
Likewise, communication systems, such as voice mail systems and automatic call routing systems, are commonly used in office environments. Generally, voice mail systems allow callers to leave a message if the call is not answered by a user or if the user's line is busy. Such systems typically provide for user or administrator definition of a limited number of features. For example, a user can typically direct the voice mail system to present a custom greeting message.
Likewise, an administrator or user can typically direct the automatic call routing system to route calls to a voice mail system when it detects a user on the phone to which a call is initially directed. Additionally, a user might be allowed to direct the automatic call routing system to forward incoming calls initially intended for the user's regular telephone number to another number.
Although providing limited user configurability, as described above, the communication systems in common use today provide very little user control other than modification of some basic user parameters such as to customize the interface that is presented to callers, the order of phone numbers to which to direct calls, etc. Furthermore, as these systems are often discrete systems, customization of such parameters often requires duplicative efforts on the part of the user in addition to requiring knowledge of the operation and programming of distinct system.
Information provided by a user in the aforementioned PC or LAN applications might also be relevant to the communication system. However, since these applications and the telephony systems do not provide an acceptable form of interface, the user must provide the pertinent information to both the computer application as well as the communication system.
Clearly these systems, although commonly used, could be much more efficient if linked together. Therefore, a need exists in the art for the linking, or interfacing, of communication and information processing systems so as to more efficiently utilize relevant information therebetween.
Additionally, a need exists in the art for a system and method which provides real-time interaction between information systems and communication systems so as to enable single entry input of information with respect to both such systems.
A further need in the art exists for the interface between such disparate systems to moderate intercommunication so as to provide interfacing without the need for significant modification of existing general purpose systems.